This paper outlines findings from interview and questionnaire research (Sinclair, Social Capital and trust in planning a biomass plant. University of Surrey, UK, 1998.) carried out in Sutton, Cambridgeshire, UK, in May 1998, where a planning consultation for a biomass (straw burning) plant took place between January 1994 and February 1996. Presented here is an evaluation of the risk communication strategy of the developer and an assessment of residents' levels of trust in the five main institutions in the debate: the developer, the district council, the parish council, the local media and environmental groups. It was found that trust was highest in those institutions which were most locally based, that is the parish council and the local media, while trust was lowest in the more remote district council and even lower in the nationally-based developer. Additionally, it was found that clear majorities of the residents thought that the developer did not try to take account of local concerns, and that more participation could usefully assist decisions of this type.